An Internet Protocol address identifies an interface or endpoint for communication within the relevant network arrangement. A device can have different addresses for different interfaces or protocols. Its local address and the address visible to an internet service may differ because of routing and translation, so one displayed address does not describe the whole connection.
A practical example
A television can use a private address inside a home while a media server sees a public address associated with the household's internet path. Those addresses perform different roles even though they participate in the same playback session.
A common misunderstanding
An IP address is not a permanent personal identity or necessarily an exact physical location. Avoid treating an address change as proof that an account or household changed ownership.
Related terms
Stable technical definition. Editorial approach